Extremely rusty engine bay on 2 year old truck

I live in the Ohio Valley. So it can get messy at times.

But the ol' girl has been paid off for several years. Just rolled 80k. Many stories of these 1RG Tacomas going well north of 300k miles. That's my goal. So I do what I can to take care of it
That’s pretty good that you have that thing paid off already. Yeah I think you should easily be able to take that thing 300,000 miles if you take care of it.

I once kept a 1999 Honda Accord for 16 years...put 289,000 miles on it and actually sold it for $1,200 bucks. I figure I probably saved $50,000 by keeping it that long, when I figured in car payments, insurance, excise taxes, interest, repairs (that Accord was very reliable). With that money I was able to pay off my house, buy another one, rent one out. I give a lot of credit to that car and keeping it as long as I did. People don’t understand how much they can save.
 
That’s pretty good that you have that thing paid off already. Yeah I think you should easily be able to take that thing 300,000 miles if you take care of it.

I once kept a 1999 Honda Accord for 16 years...put 289,000 miles on it and actually sold it for $1,200 bucks. I figure I probably saved $50,000 by keeping it that long, when I figured in car payments, insurance, excise taxes, interest, repairs (that Accord was very reliable). With that money I was able to pay off my house, buy another one, rent one out. I give a lot of credit to that car and keeping it as long as I did. People don’t understand how much they can save.
I'm pretty anal about maintenance. Hoping for the best as far as longevity. So far, so good.
 
Funny you mention that. Grandmothers 2ng gen Liberty that I maintain has not a spec of rust under the hood. Now, the rest of the underside... hah that's another story...
Mine is completely spotless underneath, it looks new!
 
having only 10k miles it didn’t seem like it was driven much.
I believe this is the key to the rusty parts here. It's bad for just about everything to let a vehicle sit for months at a time. Proper storage is a different story but it seems this truck may have sat outside, undriven, for months on end. Who knows. Fortunately the corrosion is restricted to specific parts and specific areas. Touch it up or replace the pieces and you will have a very nice looking truck (y)
 
I believe this is the key to the rusty parts here. It's bad for just about everything to let a vehicle sit for months at a time. Proper storage is a different story but it seems this truck may have sat outside, undriven, for months on end. Who knows. Fortunately the corrosion is restricted to specific parts and specific areas. Touch it up or replace the pieces and you will have a very nice looking truck (y)
I believe this is the key to the rusty parts here. It's bad for just about everything to let a vehicle sit for months at a time. Proper storage is a different story but it seems this truck may have sat outside, undriven, for months on end. Who knows. Fortunately the corrosion is restricted to specific parts and specific areas. Touch it up or replace the pieces and you will have a very nice looking truck (y)
Likely unwashed and covered with road salt or worse that horrid brine. That 2003 Sierra I referred to earlier had a Meer 80 K on it and looked a lot like this at 10 years old. Ground straps all green and snap right off if you try to loosen one, all corroded to death. That was back when gas was $.350-$4.00 a gallon too so I bet he only used it to plow and left it just sit unwashed.
The good news is that most of that isn't so awful. Ive had similar on my old Hondas and Toyotas and kept things going fine. Just take some small strips of sandpaper or better yet a Dremel with a 1" brush and carefully knock that rust down on the castings you can see. A little primer and paint just brushed on will stop it from getting worse. POR `15 is even better but is such a major PITA to use successfully and not waste most of it. Good old rustolium from Wallyworld works fine for that sort of thing. Those spring tension won't get weak for a long time either. I wouldn't sweat them beyond just looking at them a few times a year. A quick scuff with the Dremel brush as best you can then dab on some primer and paint. It won't win a beauty contest but it'll last.
 
I believe this is the key to the rusty parts here. It's bad for just about everything to let a vehicle sit for months at a time. Proper storage is a different story but it seems this truck may have sat outside, undriven, for months on end. Who knows. Fortunately the corrosion is restricted to specific parts and specific areas. Touch it up or replace the pieces and you will have a very nice looking truck (y)
I’ve had cars sit over the years too but nothing like this. Looks like it wasn’t washed a single time in 2 years and always put away wet. Surprised the frame was as clean as it was. the amount of rust on the brackets don’t even look like it could’ve been prevented by hosing down the engine bay once a year.

after a couple weekends I finally was able to clean up the rust. The rusty brackets have little to none rust protection from the factory. They are all unpainted steel. Nothing structural or important, all were just mounting brackets to keep wires/hoses in place. Derusted, sanded, and spray painted so it looks less disappointing. Would’ve been nice if I had a sand blasting station. Didn’t bother with the hose clamps I figure an assorted pack of screw clamps in the glovebox will save me some day.

I went to check my oil level and the dip stick o-ring kept jamming on the rust on the edge of the tube. Was able to get it out but not able to put back completely. Dealer told me “it’s normal the dip stick isn’t supposed to go all the way in”. So I had him pop the hood on another customers Tacoma and proved him wrong. Then told me there’s nothing he could do about it. So I walked out and ordered a new tube and o-ring from Napa. I’ve always heard toyota service was trash but I didn’t know it was this bad.
 
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I’ve had cars sit over the years too but nothing like this. Looks like it wasn’t washed a single time in 2 years and always put away wet. Surprised the frame was as clean as it was. the amount of rust on the brackets don’t even look like it could’ve been prevented by hosing down the engine bay once a year.

after a couple weekends I finally was able to clean up the rust. The rusty brackets have little to none rust protection from the factory. They are all unpainted steel. Nothing structural or important, all were just mounting brackets to keep wires/hoses in place. Derusted, sanded, and spray painted so it looks less disappointing. Would’ve been nice if I had a sand blasting station. Didn’t bother with the hose clamps I figure an assorted pack of screw clamps in the glovebox will save me some day.

I went to check my oil level and the dip stick o-ring kept jamming on the rust on the edge of the tube. Was able to get it out but not able to put back completely. Dealer told me “it’s normal the dip stick isn’t supposed to go all the way in”. So I had him pop the hood on another customers Tacoma and proved him wrong. Then told me there’s nothing he could do about it. So I walked out and ordered a new tube and o-ring from Napa. I’ve always heard toyota service was trash but I didn’t know it was this bad.
You should contact toyota usa about this. Send them your pics.
That rust is BS.
 
Similar complaints plague the ford truck forums for surface rust on suspension/driveline components under the car. Mine was rusting 6 months old. Since it’s just small parts, I’d go with the advice here, touch up what you want to, drive.
 
Clean it up, then coat with this product: (note, you will not find anything better at protecting than this)

maxwax-78002_1024x1024.png


There are many products that can slow corrosion. Fluid film and others. Corrosion X makes an array of products that are used professionally in the aviation world. They are superb. However, one product stands out as "flat out amazing" and it's "Max Wax". It sprays on or brushes on relatively thin, soaks into mild corrosion, encapsulates it, and then dries to a waxy coating that does not attract dirt.

It's NOT the same as Boeshield, or LPS-3 or any of the other products that have a waxy or thick consistency. Max Wax is top tier stuff and every bit as good (maybe even better) as the more expensive Ardrox AV-30.
 
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Clean it up, then coat with this product: (note, you will not find anything better at protecting than this)

maxwax-78002_1024x1024.png


There are many products that can slow corrosion. Fluid film and others. Corrosion X makes an array of products that are used professionally in the aviation world. They are superb. However, one product stands out as "flat out amazing" and it's "Max Wax". It sprays on or brushes on relatively thin, soaks into mild corrosion, encapsulates it, and then dries to a waxy coating that does not attract dirt.

It's NOT the same as Boeshield, or LPS-3 or any of the other products that have a waxy or thick consistency. Max Wax is top tier stuff and every bit as good (maybe even better) as the more expensive Ardrox AV-30.
I asked you this in a thread a long time ago, I think with the forum change you were no longer following that thread: Does MaxWax have an odor?
 
Clean it up, then coat with this product: (note, you will not find anything better at protecting than this)

maxwax-78002_1024x1024.png


There are many products that can slow corrosion. Fluid film and others. Corrosion X makes an array of products that are used professionally in the aviation world. They are superb. However, one product stands out as "flat out amazing" and it's "Max Wax". It sprays on or brushes on relatively thin, soaks into mild corrosion, encapsulates it, and then dries to a waxy coating that does not attract dirt.

It's NOT the same as Boeshield, or LPS-3 or any of the other products that have a waxy or thick consistency. Max Wax is top tier stuff and every bit as good (maybe even better) as the more expensive Ardrox AV-30.

Can this be used for undercoating too?
 
Can this be used for undercoating too?
Absolutely. Although it's thin when applied, it's not super-watery thin, so don't expect it to "flow" deeply into every welded seam as well as the thinner products will. I use a heat-lamp array when applying it, so it seeps in. The heat helps a lot.
 
I use something similar. RP-342 which is a cosmoline wax. Same idea. When you heat it or it gets warm out it creeps around. Waxes don't like oil sprays or oil leaks. The undercarriage has to be completely clean of oil for wax to adhere properly. If you've already done an oil spray I don't recommend any wax. Stay with the oil.
 
It just looks like they spent a lot of time on wet roads. That reservoir for example - I'd guess the belt flung water up onto it in that spot. And electrical tape is common from the factory on conduit.
 
The clamps are weaker after rust. Replace. Obviously you cannot replace the frame when its rusty so you treat it. But hose clamps are cheap, thin metal and best replaced.
 
I have to wonder if it was a perfect storm: warm winter weather with temps staying more often than not above freezing. Lots of salt splash. maybe they idled a lot too, keeps the heat under the hood, that way salt can do its thing.

I'm undecided what I will use on my next new car, RP-342 or Max Wax or what. I suspect nothing will make it last indefinitely, but then again the goal is just "reasonable" life, and most coatings will do that, get some extension of life.
 
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